Polarized relay having two armatures oppositely magnetized



v. PFEFFER ETAL Sept. 12, 1967 POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATURES OPPOSITELY MAGNETI ZED 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 21, 1965 INVENTORS V Z a/17? 26 liia/zce' Sept. 12, 1967 v. PFEFFER ETAL 3,341,792

POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATURES OPPOSITELY MAGNETIZED Filed 001;. 21, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 W m g Sept. '12, 1967 v. PFEFFER ETAL POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATURE'S OPPOSITELY MAGNETIZED Filed Oct. 21, 1965 6 Sheets-Shae: 3

Sept. 12, 1967 v. PFEFFER ETAL 3,341,792

POLARIZED RELAY HAVING T WO ARMATUHES O PPOSITELY MAGNETIZED Filed Oct. 21, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 12, 1967 v. PFEFF ER ETAL 3,341,792

v POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATUHES OPPQSITELY MAGNETIZED Filed Oct. 21, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet Sept. 12; 1967 v. PFEFFER ETAL. 3,341,792

POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATURES OPPOSITELY MAGNETIZED Filed Oct. 21, 1965 s Sheets-sheaf a J1 n n FL FL n 1 United States Patent 3,341,792 POLARIZED RELAY HAVING TWO ARMATURES OPPOSITELY MAGNETIZED Vaclav Pfeifer, Prague, Frantisek Holecek, Kojovice, and

Karel Gemprle, Dobrichovice, Czechoslovakia, assiguors to Laboratorni pristroje, narodui poduik, Prague, Czechoslovakia Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Ser. No. 499,797 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Nov. 16, 1964, 6,353/64 6 Claims. (Cl. 335-84) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A polarized relay having an electromagnet and two pivotally mounted armatures which are oppositely magnetized by one or two permanent magnets and carry respective movable contacts connected to the output terminals of the relay. The range of pivotal armature movement can be adjusted in such a manner that the movable contacts of each armature are held by a permanent magnet in contact with one of two fixed contacts connected to the poles of a source of direct current in all operative positions of the relay, whether the electromagnet is energized or not.

This invention relates to polarized relays.

The invention will be described with particular reference to its application in a system for transmitting electric pulses from a master clock to remote subordinate clocks. The reliability of such a system depends on an armature of the relay being held in a contact-opening or contact-closing position. The transmitted electric pulses fed to an electromagnet in the relay cannot reliably determine the position of the armature if they are relatively weak because of power losses in the line between successive relays. A single conventional polarized relay, even when supplied with multiple contacts, is insuflicient.

The invention provides a sensitive relay capable of being operated reliably under unfavorable conditions. The

relay has two armatures which are pivotally mounted between the poles of the electromagnet and are magnetized with opposite polarities by one or more permanent magnets. Each armature carries the movable contact portion of a switch which has two fixed contacts alternatively engaged by the movable contact when the associated armature is pivoted.

The permanent magnet or magnets and both armatures jointly constitute a singlemagnetic circuit in which stationary and pivotable elements define air gaps which may be adjusted by moving a normally stationary permanent magnet or shunt member relative to the supporting frame of the relay.

The exact nature of this invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in connection with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a relay of the invention in front elevation, the supporting frame being largely omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 shows the relay of FIG. 1 in side elevational section on its central plane of symmetry;

FIG. 3 shows a modified relay in fragmentary side elevational section;

FIGS. 4, 7, and 9 show the movable elements of a relay according to FIGS. 1 and 2 or 3 in front elevation in different operative positions; and

FIGS. 5, 6, and 8 illustrate electrical input and output signals relevant to the ope-ration of the relay in a conventional manner.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are seen two armatures 1, 2 of identical shape mounted on respective sleeves 3, 4 of non-magnetic, electrically insulating material which also support metal segments 7, 8 separated from the armatures by insulating inserts 5, 6. The segments respectively carry resilient blades 9, 10 provided with pairs of contacts 11, 12 and 13, 14. The sleeves 3, 4 freely rotate on a common shaft 15 which is mounted on the relay frame 17. The armatures 1, 2 are respectively magnetized by the two poles of a permanent magnet 16 whose position on the frame 17 is adjustable by means of a screw 18 for varying the widths of air gaps between the magnet and the armatures. The position of the screw 18 may be fixed by a set screw 19.

Oppositely magnetized portions of the amatures swing between the poles 20, 21 of an electromagnet 22 within the limits of a range set by an abutment pin 24 which is simultaneously received in oversized circular openings 25, 26 of the armatures. The pin 24 is mounted on a lever pivotally mounted on the relay frame by a shaft 28, and normally held in engagement With a threadedly adjustable abutment 30 by a helical tension spring 29. The adjusted position of the abutment 30 may be secured by a set screw 31.

In the position of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the pin 24 is located in the central plane of symmetry 32 of the relay, and the armatures are in a neutral condition between the poles 20, 21. The position of the pin 24 may be shifted as indicated by a curved arrow by turning the abutment 30,, whereby both armatures are moved toward the pole 21 of the electromagnet 22. Turning of the abutment 30 in the opposite direction causes the range of movement of the armatures to be shifted nearer the pole 20.

The contacts 11, 12 on the blade 9 move between two fixed contacts 33, 34 whose positions are threadedly ad- .justable and secured by set screws 35, 36. The contacts blades 9, 10 with the output terminals 41, 42 of the relay.

The modified relay partly shown in FIG. 3 has two sleeves 45, 46 which support the two armatures 1, 2 and replace the sleeves 3, 4. Each sleeve 45, 46 also carries a ferrite ring 47, 48. To permit relative rotary movement of the sleeves which are attracted toward each other by magnetic forces, bearing balls 49 are axially interposed and retained in annular grooves of the sleeves. The magnet 16 is replaced by a shunt of magnetically soft material of high permeability which may be moved on the frame 17, as described with reference to the magnet 16 for adjustment of the air gaps in the magnetic circuit.

Both aforedescribed devices operate in the same manner, as will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.

When the lever 27 is set to center the pin 24, a current pulse received by the coil of the electromagnet 22 in one direction causes the armature 1 to be attracted to the pole 20, and the armature 2 to be attracted to the pole 21, whereby the movable contact 11 on the blade 9 is held in engagement with the fixed contact 33, and the movable contact 13 on the blade 10 engages the fixed contact 37, the fixed contacts being respectively connected to the positive and negative poles of the current source controlled by the relay, as is indicated in FIG. 4.

The relay maintains this position until the magnet 22 receives a signal pulse in the opposite direction, whereby electric circuits are closed between the contacts 12-34 and 14-38, the fixed contacts 34, 38 being respectively connected to the negative and positive poles of the current source.

A sequence of pulses of alternating polarity graphically emitted every second by the master clock could not reliably operate the subsidiary clocks.

When the armatures 1, 2 are shifted toward the pole 21 by the lever 27, as described above, the relays operate as follows:

When the armature 1 is attracted to the pole 20 by a pulse of suitable polarity, the armature 2 is unaffected. Thus the contacts 11, 33 are closed briefly, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 7, for the duration of the pulse, while the contacts 13, 37 remain closed. The terminal 41 is connected to the positive pole of the current source. After the pulse, the contact 11 returns to the fully drawn position so that both output terminals 41, 42 are connected to the negative pole of the current source.

When the next pulse received by the magnet 22 is of opposite polarity, the terminal 42 is connected to the positive pole of the current source while the terminal 41 remains in contact with the negative pole. The output signal produced therefore consists of pulses of alternating polarity equal in duration to the input pulses. Such an arrangement is useful for transmitting pulses of alternating polarity from a master clock to remote subsidiary clocks once a minute.

The aforedescribed adjustment of the armatures toward the pole 21 as illustrated in FIG. 7 may be used for transmitting a sequence of pulses of equal polarity of the type shown in FIG. 8.

In this mode of operation, the armature 2 remains in the position shownin fully drawn lines, and the terminal 42 is permanently connected to the negative pole of the current source by the closed contacts 13, 37. The contact 11 is moved into engagement with the contact 33 for the duration of a pulse received by the electromagnet 22. This arrangement may be employed for remotely operating subsidiary clocks arranged for operation by unidirectional signals.

When the armatures 1, 2 are shifted toward the magnet pole 20 by the pin 24 as shown in FIG. 9, the apparatus operates as described with reference to FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the polarity of the output pulses is reversed.

The relay of the invention thus may assume the functions of two conventional polarized relays. It is built and operated at low cost, and can be installed in existing transmission systems. Better contact pressure is achieved without change in the power supply, and reliability of transmission is improved.

While the relay of theinvention has been described with reference to its application in a system of remotely operated timing devices, it will be appreciated that it is useful for other applications in related fields.

We claim:

1. In a polarized relay, in combination:

(a) a support;

(b) an electromagnet on said support, said electromagnet having two pole elements and coil means for magnetizing said pole elements with opposite polarity when said coil means is energized;

(0) two armatures mounted on said support for movement toward and away from respective pole elements;

(d) permanent magnet means mounted on said support in a magnetic circuit with said armatures for magnetizing said armatures with opposite polarity;

(e) a moveable contact on each of said armatures; and

(f) fixed contacts associated with said movable contacts respectively, said fixed contacts being mounted on said support for engagement and disengagement with the associated movable contacts during said movement of said armatures.

2. In a relay as set forth in claim 1, said permanent magnet means including a permanent magnet having two pole portions, each of said pole portions defining an air gap with a respective armature, and regulating means for moving said permanent magnet on said support and for thereby increasing and decreasing the widths of said air gaps.

3. In a relay as set forth in claim 1, said permanent magnet secured to each of said armatures for movement therewith, a magnetic shunt member defining an air gap with each of said armatures, and regulating means for moving said shunt member on said support and for thereby increasing and decreasing the Widths of said air gaps.

4. In a relay as set forth in claim 1, abutment means on said support for limiting the range of movement of said armatures toward and away from said pole elements.

5. In a relay asset forth in claim 4, means for moving said abutment means and for thereby simultaneously shifting said range of movement toward one of said pole ele ments and away from the other pole element.

6. In a relay as set forth in claim 1, said armatures being pivotally mounted on said support, respective portions of said armatures being interposed between said pole elements, and said movement thereof being pivotal movement about a common axis.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 272,149 3/1930 Italy.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

H. BROOME, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A POLARIZED RELAY, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) AN ELECTROMAGNET ON SAID SUPPORT, SAID ELECTROMAGNET HAVING TWO POLE ELEMENTS AND COIL MEANS FOR MAGNETIZING SAID POLE ELEMENTS WITH OPPOSITE POLARITY WHEN SAID COIL MEANS IS ENERGIZED; (C) TWO ARMATURES MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM RESPECTIVE POLE ELEMENTS; (D) PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT IN A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT WITH SAID ARMATURES FOR MAGNETIZING SAID ARMATURES WITH OPPOSITE POLARITY; (E) A MOVEABLE CONTACT ON EACH OF SAID ARMATURES; AND (F) FIXED CONTACTS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS RESPECTIVELY, SAID FIXED CONTACTS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATED MOVABLE CONTACTS DURING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMATURES. 